Despade: Journey to Strong(ish?)

12/15/17

Weight: 205.2

Bench

Flat BB Bench
2 x 5 x 135
5 x 185
3 x 225
2 x 255
1 x 275
1 x 300 (another all time personal best for me
4 x 10 x 185

Incline DB
10 x 75
8 x 75
10 x 50

Low Point Cable Fly
10 x 40
10 x 50
10 x 60
15 x 40

Superset
Dips
5 x 10 x BW
WG Pullups
5 x 5 x BW

CGBP
15 x 115
12 x 135
8 x 165
15 x 115

Tricep Extensions
4-5 sets x 90-120 lbs x sets of 8-12 reps

Ha, I’ve come to the realization that “all time bests” come a lot more readily when you’re just generally weak haha, but weakness aside, I was pretty stoked to hit a 300lb bench, it was solid too, no shaking or grinding, had absolutely zero intention of even barbell benching today, but training partner wanted to switch it up from DBs today, so that’s where we landed. Kind of wish I had it on film…ah well, next one! It’s been a good couple weeks of training for me, pretty damn grateful for my health and abilities at the moment.

Edit: Regarding weight, scale says 205, but I feel leaner than usual, I don’t feel sloppy or heavy.

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How to bench 300 pls

Psh, I dunno, why don’t you go ask Lord_mungus?! :joy:

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Hey, thought I would check out your log, small world. My brother played hoops at PLU in the early 80’s (NAIA) when they were pretty good at football under Frosty Westering, and my cousin was a running back at Montana State in the middle 80’s. Most of my cousins were Griz but they never offered Bobby so he went to Bozeman. Wasn’t Carroll pretty dominant for years?

Anyhoo, in for the follow.

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No doubt about it! That’s pretty cool! Does the Bignell name ring a bell? They’ve kinda been a staple at MSU since the 70’s, I believe. Are you from the area?? (Idaho, Washington, MT, and some Cali folks are the big parts of the recruits for both Missoula and Bozeman.

Carroll was definitely dominant for years, the conference has been shaken up the last 6-8 years though and Butte (MT Tech) and Dillon (UM-Western) have come on strong (ranking in the top 15 in the nation for NAIA) and kind of taken the torch from Helena in that regard. But while I was playing? Yeah, Carroll kicked the ever livin’ shit out of us, haha.

Appreciate ya jumpin’ in!

11/18/17

EDIT: Weight: 200.4

Deadlifts

Sumo/Semi Sumo
5 x 135
5 x 225
5 x 315
4-5 x 3 x 385
Conventional
2 x 10 x 225

Superset
Bent Over Rows
4 x 12 x 135
3D Bands
4 x 15 x Black

Lat Pulldowns
4 x 10 x 150
1 x 10/10/10 x 150/130/110 (Drop Set)

Superset
Chest Supported DB Row
3 x 10 x 50s
WG Pull Up
5, 5 ,4

DB Curl
3 x 8 x 40s

Tried to work in the 75-80% range and work on pulling smoothly and powerfully, but I think my hip mobility needs work…I got a good straight on side angle so that I can have the shit kicked out of my form by folks that know a wee bit more than I do. Conventional felt phenomenal after “warming up” with the sumo, so I may try to figure out some type of rotation…like warm ups to 75-85% with semi-sumo and then heavy conventional, and then switch every 3rd week or something (i.e. Week 1-Heavy Sumo, Week 2 No Pull from Floor, Week 3- Heavy Conventional), I don’t know yet, but I feel that continuing to get strong in both styles can only help me drive my squat up.

Video is of my last set (4 or 5?)

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Hips shooting up baby pls

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Feel like I need to get my knees out at more of an angle, get the bar path closer to my hips, and then stay tight and drive with my legs/hips first. I tried to “load” myself like a spring, but even then my hips still came up first.

Start hips higher then.

Keep same hip height and tweak set up and improve mobility gradually to get hips closer and closer to the bar in the horizontal plane and achieve more vertical torso angle, better position yada yada

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So…a semi-sumo with conventional hip height?

It’ll break the internet…

image

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Bit hard to illustrate. Its still a sumo pull but your hips start higher. Initial this will mimic the torso inclination of a conventional but unlike conventional theres no limit to how much you can open your hips. The more you open the hips the closer you can get them to the bar and the more vertical your torso will be.

Fuck nvm explaining with words lemme get some paint action going. brb

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Dogshit “Starting Position” AKA Squatting the Weight / Having Hips in a weaker position vs actual starting position when the bar begins to break the ground.

Hips shoot up to strongest position with best leverages for hip extension
image

Solution to hips shooting up. Start hips in their strongest position. i.e. higher

In a conventional deadlift and semi sumo or sumo deadlift where you have poor ability to open up at the hips this leads to a torso angle like the above. How one gets advantages of the sumo such as a more up right torso and decreased hip extension lever length is to open up more at the hips, which is knees more out pretty much but it comes from the hip…

image

Sumo is not necessarily low hip it is close hip

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Made these @guineapig GIFs for lels about bishes mirin his tights and thicccccness but shows pretty well the change in start position over time.


https://forums.t-nation.com/uploads/short-url/p9fZvBga4bCFGeAS49fd5T4IHMy.gif

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I grew up in Portland and wasn’t in real close touch with my cousins in Montana for a while. My great great grandfather was a state senator, Mineral county sheriff, and owned a saloon, lol. I have spent time in the Rockin R Bar, the Missoula Club, and Stockman’s. But Bignell doesn’t ring a bell - and it shouldn’t for me, spent very little time in Bozeman. I love it there, it’s very pretty. Well, that kind of goes for Montana in general.

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So read, re-read, watched, internally reflected, and now it makes sense. Even the drawing makes sense. Thanks, bro.

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Pretty sure that’s how I pull semi sumo.

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12/19/2017

Weight: 202.2

Shoulders

OHP
5 x 95
5 x 115
3 x 135
3 x 155
3 x 2 x 185
3 x 8 x 125
1 x 8 x 115

Superset:
Plate Raise
4 x 15 x 35
3D Bands
4 x 15 x Yellow

Superset:
Lateral Raise
4 x 12 x 25, 30, 30, 30
Tri Extension
4 x 20 x 70

Superset:
Arnold Press
4 x 10, 8, 8, 10 x 40, 40, 40, 25
Face Pull
4 x 12 x 100

Superset
Rear Delts
4 x 12 x 25
WG Pullups
4 x 5 x BW

Tri Extension Drop Set

I was initially pretty disappointed with my top sets, thinking (for some reason) that 185 was working in my 80-85% range, and that I should be hitting it for 5+…turns out its more like ~93% and I hit it for three doubles…so in hindsight I’m actually pretty happy with it. Pumped up the volume, had a great pump today, general conditioning is coming up with all the supersets the last month or two. Feeling good.

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This was a wonderfully informative post.

Congrats on bringing up that poverty bench of yours @Despade :wink:

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Haha yeah, I was surprised and joyous over the occasion #blessed :joy: